JONQUIERE, QUE. -- Back on the road with five days left to pitch his party to Canadians as the best placed to govern, Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole took a new tack on Wednesday, appealing directly to voters who may not have considered voting Conservative before, before receiving a notable endorsement from former prime minister Brian Mulroney.

O鈥橳oole said that his party, like others, has let down voters in the past, and asserted that under his leadership things will change, something his predecessor emphasized as well.

鈥淭oday, I want to talk to the many Canadians who are beginning to tune in to this election in its final days, and maybe鈥攈opefully鈥攍ooking at the Conservatives for the first time,鈥� O鈥橳oole said at a campaign event at a legion in a Bloc Quebecois-held riding north of Quebec City.

鈥淚 know some of you may be hesitant because of things you may have heard or impressions that are a little out of date鈥� I understand that for years you鈥檝e been let down by Mr. Trudeau and the by the Liberal government, but really if we鈥檙e being honest, you鈥檝e been let down by parties of all stripes, mine included at times.鈥�

Asked what he feels his party has let Canadians down on in the past, O鈥橳oole cited past Conservative climate policies, engagement with working Canadians and union leaders, and outreach to cultural communities. 

With public opinion polls continuing to show the Conservatives are in a close race with the Liberals, the boost in support O鈥橳oole saw early in the campaign seemed to level off in the last week. Though, the latest Nanos Research data has O鈥橳oole slightly ahead in national ballot support after a gradual increase in support in recent days.

In his address, the Tory leader sought to make his case to voters who might have previously written off his party or didn鈥檛 feel they belonged in the so-called 鈥渂ig blue tent.鈥�

鈥淚 just want to say up front that I know my party has ground to make up, so I鈥檓 here to listen to you. I want to know your thoughts, your hopes, fears, and dreams, and I hope when Monday rolls around, even if you鈥檙e uncertain about your vote, you鈥檒l look at Canada鈥檚 Conservatives a little differently,鈥� he said.

This echoed a sentiment he first shared when he was elected as the latest Conservative leader in 2020; that he wanted more Canadians to see a Conservative when they looked in the mirror.

鈥淔rom the first day of my leadership, my priority has been to build a Conservative movement where every Canadian can feel at home鈥� We鈥檙e not your dad鈥檚 Conservative party anymore,鈥� he said Wednesday.

MULRONEY BACKS O鈥橳OOLE

Though, some questions were raised about the veracity of O鈥橳oole describing his party as not the same one as generations past after former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney landed in for an evening campaign stop in Orford, Que.

Mulroney, who was prime minister between 1984 and 1993, threw his support strongly behind O鈥橳oole, saying he is 鈥渟teady, strong, and visionary,鈥�

鈥淎ctive politics requires courage and selflessness. To seek high office in today's political, media and social media environment, all Canadian political leaders in this campaign obviously have that courage and are well-intentioned,鈥� Mulroney said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not here tonight to attack anybody. I'm here for one single reason: to help elect Erin O'Toole as the next prime minister of Canada.鈥�

He compared the political landscape O鈥橳oole is facing now to the months leading up to his own win for the then-Progressive Conservatives, recalling that O鈥橳oole called him months before the election call cautioning of pollsters predicting a defeat under his leadership. Mulroney says he then told O鈥橳oole that he 鈥渟hould be thrilled鈥� because that鈥檚 what was said about him before defeating the Liberals and forming the largest majority government in Canadian history.

鈥淎 great nation like Canada is entitled to, and needs a combination of visions and dreams. Of such things was Canada shaped and brought to life by the leadership of great men in the Conservative Party: Sir John A Macdonald, and George-Étienne Cartier, which gave birth to Canada 154 years ago,鈥� Mulroney said.

QUESTIONED ON 鈥榋ERO TOLERANCE鈥�

Facing questions about how his pitch as a different Conservative party squares with allowing candidates who have shared racist, conspiratorial, and anti-vaccine views to remain under his party banner, O鈥橳oole did not directly answer.

He said that he鈥檚 鈥渁 new leader with a new style,鈥� vowing that he would work to act against intolerance and have a 鈥渮ero-tolerance approach to racism.鈥�

鈥淚'm very proud to say that we have the most diverse slate of candidates that we've ever had,鈥� he said. 

Over the course of the campaign, O鈥橳oole has sought to pitch a more progressive version of the party than the one led by his predecessor Andrew Scheer, though the Liberals have made efforts to draw attention to his past 鈥渢rue blue鈥� brand of conservativism and his years in the Stephen Harper government.

'NOT THE WAY FORWARD': TRUDEAU

Through attack ads and in social media posts the Liberal Party and its candidates have pointed to past opposition to the carbon tax, advancing motions on abortion, and a vote on the stalled-out conversion therapy bill that saw the majority of the Conservative caucus vote against imposing a ban, though O鈥橳oole voted in favour.

On Wednesday at his own campaign stop, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the Conservative Party鈥檚 approach is 鈥渘ot the way forward,鈥� continuing to call out how O鈥橳oole has said things during this campaign that are incongruent with his past positions.

鈥淲e're the ones who are positioned to stop Erin O'Toole and the Conservatives from taking Canada back,鈥� Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said at a campaign stop in Halifax Wednesday morning. 鈥淭he Conservatives seem to be putting forward the wrong choices on a whole bunch of things.鈥�

It remains to be seen whether O鈥橳oole鈥檚 message that if electors want change, the Conservatives are the 鈥渙nly option,鈥� will be one he looks to drill home in the coming days as his campaign plans to stay on the road visiting key ridings through to Sept. 20.